Running the Stone Cat 50 Miler

After running the Boston Marathon “on a lark” in 2001, Greg Shea swore he would never run anything longer than 10K again.

“Then I met Nick,” he says.

Nick Lunger is a longtime trail runner. Shea began accompanying him on trail runs. Marathons turned quickly to 50Ks.

Last year, Shea saw a video of the infamous Miller-Hawks showdown at the 2016 The North Face 50 Mile Championships, shot by Jamil Coury, Michael Carson and Billy Yang.

“I had never seen a trail-running piece remotely like it before,” Shea says.

Shea, who works as a documentary producer for Boston’s WGBH, was immediately inspired to create his own running film.

The result is this 28-minute video documenting Lunger’s attempt to finish his first 50-mile race, at Massachusetts’ Stone Cat 50 Miler. The video follows Lunger through pre-race excitement, extreme lows and, ultimately, a satisfying finish well under his goal time.

“I just might find myself attempting [Stone Cat] next year,” Shea says. “Hopefully with a smile on my face … and a camera in my hand.”

Watch more of Shea’s films on his youtube channel here.